Animal-trap.



No. 823,126. PATENTED JUNE 12, 1906. M. KROFFT.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED 0015. 1905.

M W I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Application filed October 5. 1905. Serial No. 281,451.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARSHALL KROFFT, .a citizen of the United-States, residingatMeredith, in the county of Delaware and State of New York, have invented certainnew and.

useful Improvements in Animal-Traps; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention-relates to improvements in animal-traps.

The object of the inventionisthe provision of means for facilitating the ensnaring or trapping of an animal-by employing a loop and means for compressing the animal within said loop. With this and other objects in viewthe invention consists ofcertain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is atop plan 'view of a trap constructed inaccordance with the present invention, said trap being set, while Fig. 2 is a similar view of the trap in a sprung or unset condition. Fig. 3. is a side view of the device \de icted in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the trap, showing the hook, which normally supports the trigger and one end of the latch-when the trapis set, as depicted in Fig. 1. Fig. 5' is a fragmentary view of the trigger. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the spring- Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the looped member, which is formed, preferably, by bending a bar of metal andsecuring the end 2 of the bowed portion 3 to the upper or primary part 4 by any suitable means-as, for instance, arivet orbolt 5. The end-"6 of the looped member 1 is tapered throughout its length and is provided with a flat portion 7.

I employ a spring 8, which is preferably formed of a flat strip'and is substantially U- shaped. Each end 9 of the spring 8 is bent at an angle to the body and is formed with a slot or aperture 10. The end 6 of the looped member 1 is positioned within one of the apertured ends of the spring 8, and the flat portion 7 of said end 6 bears against the spring, said spring being secured to the end 6 by any suitable meansas, for instance, rivet 11.

Within the other apertured end of the spring, a'jaw or pressure-bar 12 is positioned. The jaw 12 is formedfrom a bar of metal, and its spring-engaging end 13 is similarly constructed to end 6 of the looped member 1. Said jaw 12 and spring 8 are preferably secured together by means of rivet 11. A peculiar advantage is obtained by forming the ends of the spring with apertured angular extensions, for the reason that when the single rivet is positioned as specified independent rotary movement of the spring and looped member or jaw and spring is preventedthat is to say, the apertured angular extensions of the spring obviate the necessity of employing a plurality of rivets or bolts for securing said spring ina fixed position upon the ends of the looped member and jaw.

Aibolt or extension 14, constituting a projection, is carried by the upper portion 4 of the looped member 1. A latch 15 is ivotally mounted upon bolt 14. The latch 15 is-bent intermediate its ends, as at 16. The latch is supported upon the bolt 14 by means of a loop 17, which is formed upon said latch. The latch 15 is positioned within an eye 18, formed upon the jaw 12. The eye 18 is pref erably constructed by passing the ends of. a substantially U-shaped member through the jaw 12 and securing said substantially U- shaped member by flattening. the ends, as at 19, Fig-3. A catch or hook 20 is fixedly secured to the bowedportion 3 of the looped member 1 contiguous to the end 2 of said member 1. The catch-or hook is provided with a right-angled end 21, upon which the latch 15 is positioned when the trap is set. The angular catch or hook 20 is provided with anaperture 22, within which is positioned the end 23 of a trigger 2.4. The trig ger is provided with a body portion having at one end a right-angled looped extension 25 and at its opposite end a substantially rightangled extension 26, provided with a portion 27, bent back upon the portion 26and carrying end 23.

The catch or hook 20 is removably secured to the bowed portion 3 of the looped member 1, preferably by means of an ordinary boltand-nut structure 28.

When the trigger 24 is positioned upon the catch 20, Figs. 1 and 3, and the latch is also positioned upon said catch, a slight movement of the trigger will push said latch off of said catch or hook 20, and thereby permit of the jaw 12 through the action of the spring 8 to move downward. The movement of the jaw is limited through the medium of the substantially U-shaped member 18, constituting the eye. The member 18 constitutes a stop or projection. The jaw 12 and the latch 15 are positioned u on opposite sides of the bowed portion 3 of t e looped member 1 If the trap is set and an animal springs the same byreaching through the looped member 1 and moves the trigger, that portion of the animal within the looped member will be compressed. within the looped member not only by the jaw 12, but also the latch 15, as it will be obvious that as the jaw 12 swings downwardly the latch 15 will be pivoted rearward, thereby compressing or gripping the animal similar to a running noose. When the trigger 24 is in position upon the catch 20, Fig. 3, it cannot rotate, owing to the formation of the right-angled end 23 centrally of the extension or portion 26, for it is obvious that the flat end 21 and the portion 26 extend parallel, and thereby prevent said .movement. However, the trigger can be moved sufliciently to push oil the latch 15, so as to allow the spring-actuated jaw 12 to move to its unset position, Fig. 2.

The spring 8 is formed from a flat resilient strip or sheet, while the looped member is formed from a bar of comparatively stiff material. Of course the difference in the material of the spring and looped member minimizes the expense of construction.

What I claim is 1. An animal-trap, comprising a substantially U-shaped sprin provided with apertured ends, a looped member positioned within one of the apertured ends of said spring, a single fastenin means fixedly securing said spring and Tooped member together, a jaw positioned within the other apertured end of said spring, a single 'lasten ing means securing said jaw and spring in a fixed position, and means for sustaining said jaw at one side of said looped member and permitting said jaw to move to the opposite side of said looped member.

2. An animal-trap, comprising a looped member provided with a tapering end, a jaw provided with a tapering end, a flat, substantially U-shaped spring provided with apertured ends extending at an angle therefrom, the tapering ends of said looped member and jaw positioned within the apertured endsof said sprin means fixedly secur ng said spring upon the tapering ends of said looped member and jaw, a substantially U- shaped member carried by said jaw, a latch carried by said looped member and positioned within said substantially U-shaped member, a stationary catch carried by said looped member, said latch adapted to be positioned upon said catch for securing said jaw in a set position, and means for displacing said latch off of said catch for permitting said aw to move from a set position.

3. An animal-trap, comprising a looped member, a jaw, a bowed spring fixedly secured to one end of said looped member and jaw, a stationary catch carried by said looped member, a latch carried by said looped member, a projection formed upon said jaw and engaging said latch, said jaw adapted to be held in a set position when said latch is positioned upon said catch, and means for removing said latch from off of said catch.

4. An animal-trap, comprising a looped member, a jaw, a spring connecting and surrounding one of the ends of said looped member and jaw, a removable, stationary catch rovided with a right angled extension ormed upon its outer end, carried by sa d looped member, and means engaging sa d jaw and adapted to be positione upon said catch for securing said jaw in a set position.

5. An animal-trap, comprising a looped member, a jaw, a spring fixedly secured to one of the ends of said looped member and jaw, a removable catch provided with an aperture, carried by said looped member, a projection formed upon said jaw, a latch carried by said looped member and engaging said projection, said latch adapted to engage said catch when said jaw is set, and means engaging the a ertured portion of said catch and capable 0' being moved for displacing said latch and springing said jaw.

6. An animal-trap, comprising a looped member, a jaw, resilient means connecting said looped member and jaw, a latch carried by said looped member and coacting with said jaw for securing said jaw in a set position, and a trigger coacting with said latch forspringing said jaw, said trigger comprising a body portion provided with a looped end, a substantially right-angled extension formed upon the opposite end of said trigger, said right-angled extension provided with a portion bent back upon itself and terminating in a substantially right-angled projection.

7. An animal trap, comprising a flat, bowed spring, said sprin provided with apertured, angular ends, a ooped member, one end of said loo ed member positioned within one end of said spring, a jaw positioned within the other end of said spring, and means for securing said jaw in a set position'and permitting said jaw to move from said position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARSHALL KROFFT.

Witnesses:

VIRGIL B. FORMAN, ARTHUR K. BONTONQ 

